but deadly on fleas. so ask your rinte, the flea specialist, for effective, but gentle flea control. good morning. trail of destruction. in colorado firefighters can't get control of that big wildfire raging in the foothills, while in detroit flames fanned by strong winds burn at least two dozen homes overnight. and in texas, the remnants of tropical storm hermine cause severe flooding. > defiance. the leader of the church that plans to burn the koran on 9/11 refuses to back down even in the face of worldwide condemnation. what does president obama think? we'll ask his top adviser and get reaction from the former military commander in iraq. and close call. a trainer at the mgm grand in las vegas suffers minor injuries

after being attacked by a lion. it could have been a lot worse today, wednesday, september 8, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television you wouldn't mind if it was september 28th, would you? >> get rid of a few days. >> welcome to today. it's 7:00 a.m. pacific time on wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. a really ugly scene in boulder, colorado this morning. >> firefighters have not been able to gain control of the wildfire that's destroyed at least 53 homes and burned more than 7100 acres. we'll get the latest on that fire plus those blazes in detroit and flooding in texas. a lot to talk about in just a couple of minutes. then more of that exclusive interview with joran van der sloot, suspected in the disappearance of nat lee hol

oweay. plus crucial information for parents about booster seats. are many of them not doing enough to protect your children. on tuesday in a series that we're running here on "today," i got by chance to try my hand at being a paper boy once again. something i hadn't done in about 45 years. this morning you might want to grab some ear plugs, because meredith will be shuffling off to rhode island to revisit her first job as a tap dance instructor. >> check out the legs, huh? unbelievable. >> and the girl in front is not bad either. let's begin with that out of control wildfire in boulder, colorado. migu miguel almaguer is there. >> reporter: the four-mile canyon fire is still being described as volatile and extremely dangerous. it has consumed 92 structures. among those nine are homes that belong to volunteer firefighters. at this hour it is still burning out of control and there is no word on when the fire may actually be contained.

this blaze is fueled by bone-dry brush, steep, rugged terrain as well as miles and miles of hillside. so far 7100 acres have been -- have gone up in smoke since monday. the governor actually declared a state of emergency yesterday. a thousand people, many of them frustrated, have been forced to evacuate and told they may not be able to return back home for at least two days. 70 subdivisions have been cleared of the path of the fire. it is slowly moving in a direction of a subdivision, so crews are extremely worried about that. evacuations may take some time. there is no word on exactly when this fire will be contained. we're told it could be several weeks. this fire still burning out of control. no word exactly on when crews may gain the upper hand. back to you. >> all right, thank you very much. it is 7:03 pacific time and now here's matt. >> thank you. in detroit, fires across the city have destroyed at least two dozen homes. our national correspondent, natalie morales has been

following the story. >> reporter: yes, officials in detroit suspect gusty winds and downed power lines are to blame for the fires. just the latest hardship for a city that has suffered so much heartache already. a city up in smoke. firefighters in detroit battled burning homes on tuesday, after a series of fires broke out on the city's east side. >> with the wind blowing, it starts spreading, fire after fire after fire after fire. >> reporter: powerful winds up to 50 miles per hour knocked tree branches onto power lines, sparking several of the fast-moving fires. the dangerous flames sent residents scrambling. many of the burning buildings were abandoned homes in this troubled city, but others were not, hitting those residents still living in the neighborhoods especially hard. >> i really don't have a place to go if that house burns down. and i'm going to lose everything. >> reporter: residents feared for the worst as crews responded to 85 fires in just a four-hour period. a grueling task for the city's

firefighters. >> the manpower is so sparse. my men has got to pace themselves at this point in time. >> reporter: as fire crews fought the flames and smoke, many residents scrambled to save what they could. >> it's bad, really bad. you can't hardly see. >> reporter: many could not believe what they were seeing. >> i see that it's on fire, it's on fire. >> reporter: and some of the fires flared up again in the city this morning. authorities believe most of them are caused by downed power lines and wind. there was one person taken into custody, questioned for possible arson. matt and meredith. >> natalie, thank you very much, appreciate it. you've been tracking all this wild weather. >> that's right. for the folks in colorado, not much help. the winds are going to be out of the south about 10 to 20 miles per hour. lots of sunshine, low humidity, so that's not going to help the firefighters there. and then in detroit, as you can see, detroit is going to have some problems too. they're going to continue with the winds. this is, of course, colorado. you can see those wildfires

burning. they're going to continue that way at least as miguel mentioned for another week or so. as we look at the maps, you can see the forecast right now. we are looking for those winds to continue out of the southwest about 10 to 20 miles per hour. and here in the east, the system that caused problems for detroit, that's going to be causing a lot of windy conditions in the mid-atlantic states. the last three months very, very dry. and in fact we have fire warnings for the mid-atlantic states. we've got fire weather watches back to the west. and it's like the james taylor song "fire and rain." in texas they picked up 5 to 10 inches of rain. this is just outside of san antonio. this is a stream that has overrun its banks, obviously. more rain is coming. they're looking for anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain. this was a rescue outside of san antonio, texas. more rain is on tap. 5 to 10 more inches over the next 24 hours. matt. >> all right, al, thanks. we'll get your local forecast in a couple of minutes in addition. also, now, the uproar over

plans by a fringe church in florida to burn the koran on the anniversary of 9/11. this despite condemnation from the obama administration and the top u.s. general in afghanistanl in afghanistan. we have more from carrey. good morning to you. >> reporter: this church has at most 50 members, but the pastors say his actions speak for more than his worshippers and he is not going to be deterred. he is pushing forward with the plans to burn the islamic holy book, the koran. more than 7600 miles away from afghanistan, it took only a few clicks to find terry jones's likeness and burn him. pastor jones said he is the who is offended. >> they are burning our flag and pictures of us. we are supposed to do nothing?

we are supposed to apologize for our actions? we must do something. >> reporter: the church displayed more than 200 korans to news cameras. some they bought and others were donated. the church will burn them saturday, the anniversary of 9/11. >> we believe in what we believe. we believe in the bible and standing up for it. >> we are not going to allow that! >> this as the protesting construction of an islamic center near ground zero. he is proceeding with the community center that will be multifaith with separate prayer room for muslims, christians, jews and other faces. he is planning a multifaith memorial for the victims of 9/11 and insists he is sympathetic to the families. let us commemorate of anniversary of 9/11 by pausing to reflect and meditate and tone

down the rhetoric that serves to strengthen the radicles and weaken beliefs and our values. moderate muslim americans say the protests and the threatened koran burning signal a growing intolerance. >> the sim bolg is hurtful and that does hurt a lot of people including the congregation here. what gives us comfort is to know that the scripture and the message of the scripture is in our hearts and our minds and nobody can take that away. >> reporter: in afghanistan in the background of the chant allah is good and long live islam, the pictures will be as damaging in the muslim world as the snapshots of prisoners being abused at the prison. the top commander said were the

burnings to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians be put in jeopardy. an associate pastor at the gainesville church believes the general has it backwards. >> we believe american lives are in danger no matter what. our actions do not cause the violence. >> reporter: in an already volatile afghanistan, there is backlash. some of the 500 protesters turned on u.s. troops and started to throw rocks. the gainesville city police say that it is legal in their city to start a small camp fire in your yard, but it's very specific. only twigs or branchs and not books. they have the fire department standing by so if somebody tries to light the koran they can put it out immediately. of course the general's fear overseas, just the image of sparking a koran will have created the damage for u.s.

soldiers and marines. >> thank you very much. army general raymond is the commander in iraq and the head of the joint forces command. welcome home and nice to see you. i have a lot to talk to you about and i also want to get your opinion on this situation. this small church could do something that has international implications. your colleague, general petraeus said it could endanger troops and the overall effort in afghanistan and precisely the kind of action the taliban uses and can cause problems everywhere in the world where engaged with the islamic community. does that hold true for iraq? >> i have been spending a lot of time in this area and most muslims are moderate. you have extremists and this feeds right into what they want. they feed off of hate and fear. they will use it to generate

more hate and what that will turn into is more violence against the u.s. >> it's a tiny church, 50 members. if we weren't paying them any attention, this might occur in a vacuum, but with the internet, will the images make their way to the streets. what will the result be? >> again, i think there will be backlash and you start to see some already. i worry it will turn into violence with our troops as well. >> does the reverse hold true? another situation with the plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9-11 attacks. if the plans to build that mosque go forward, do those images then make their way to the streets in the muslim world and is it a good thing for troops engaged in countries? >> it's about moderate versus extremists and the moderates understand. the extremists use it to recruit

and create hatred. everything they built is built on hatred. >> the negative impact on the one hand and not necessarily a kor lear positive on the other side? >> something like that is more expected in the united states because they hold the united states as something with freedom of religion is respected here. >> let me ask you about the situation on the ground in iraq. there still 50,000 service men and women in the country and violence as of late. two service members wounded there and a firefight over the weekend. do you worry that now that the combat mission has been declared over and combat troops for the most part are out of the country and remaining troops become a target of opportunity for the insurgence? >> i would let everybody know that the troops are more than capable of protecting themselves and they will continue to do that. violence is about 10% of what it once was.

it's significantly down. this is about iraqis moving forward now with political solutions. we have to get the government to work on that and we hope it will happen soon. once that forms, a lot of that will calm down. extremists want to exploit that no government is bringing attention to them. >> i want to talk about the comments you are making. it doesn't sound like you are overly optimistic. when asked if the united states made iraq's divisions worse. you said i don't know. we have to work our way through and did maybe maybe it cause it to get worse. in the "washington post" when asked if it could fall apart, you said it could. >> yeah. the first comment i would say was in the beginning when we came in with the misunderstanding of iraq and culture and i think we corrected that. >> we haven't left it worse. there was a chance we made it worse for a short period of time. >> for a short period of time and corrected it.

could it fall apart? i think it would be difficult. they are on a road where i think it's going to be successful, but this is about a strong democratic iraq. if we get a strong democratic iraq, it will make a significant difference in the mideast. we are on that road and we have to travel on that road. we have to stay committed to iraq. from a political economic perspective. if we do, it will be okay. >> the general spent the better part of the last five years in iraq. welcome home. nice to have you here. 15 minutes after the hour and here's meredith. >> matt, thanks. let's turn to president obama's senior adviser, david axelrod. >> good morning. >> when plans for the mosque near ground zero, he said the muslim his a right to build under the constitution. does pastor terry jones in

florida have a right to burp the koran on 9/11? >> the question is not do they have a right. they may have a right to do it, but is it right. i'm the son of an immigrant who came here because his home was blown up. my family came because this was a country of religious tolerance and you could practice faith freely that. made us the envy of the world. this offends our values and not only that, but threatens our security. general petraeus said yesterday that this is a propaganda bonanza for qaeda in trying to turn people against the united states. it's wrong for many dimensions. >> secretary of state clinton called it unamerican. will the president address this issue publicly? >> i'm sure if he is asked, he

will, but his views are clear. i just articulated them as well. >> i want to move on to the latest "wall street journal" poll because it has bad news for the president and the democratic party. let me start with the highlights here. his approval rate suggest at 9%g of the economy. 61% of the country believes we are headed in the wrong direction. and among likely voters, republican candidates have a 9-point advantage over democrats. with just 55 days before the mid-term election, can the president say or do anything that will prevent what seems to be likely a landslide by the republican party? >> well, meredith, we'll see. i'm working for a guy who's been on the wrong side of these polls before and we've come out on top, so i don't put too much stock in polls 55 days before an election. but let's be clear, we have a tough economy out there. we didn't create the mess that we're in, but we're the responsible party. we're the majority party. we're going to bear some of the

brunt on this. what people need to focus on and what we're going to focus people on the next 55 days is the choice in front of them because the republican party has made clear the chairman of their campaign committee said we want to go back to the very same policies that were in place before this president took office. we lost four million jobs in the six months before this president took office. 800,000 jobs in the last month of the last administration. we've had eight straight months of job growth. not fast enough for our satisfaction. >> and not fast enough for the voters, apparently. >> but we -- well, but the point is we're not going to solve this problem by moving back to the same policies that created this mess. we have to put our -- the president is going to talk about ways to accelerate the recovery but we have to be persistent in dealing with the biggest economic crisis since the great depression. >> he says too little to do much good, too late to have an impact, too close to the election to win support on

capitol hill. is this just a case of the president playing election year politics? >> well, apparently not if you read the column. that whole column is about election year politics and is judging the president's proposals through that prism. the president is making proposals that he thinks will move this economy forward in the short term and long term so that we can grow the economy, grow the middle class. believe me, meredith, people in america aren't sitting around reading the nbc news poll, they're looking at their bills, they're worried about their children's future and they want the president to do what's necessary to get this economy moving, not to impact the election in the short term, not to please dana milbank or any other pundits in washington. >> richard daley said he will not seek re-election. rahm emanuel has said that would be a job he was interested in. were hereto leave and decide to run for that office, how bad would that be for this president to lose somebody that high up in the administration? >> for the same reason that rahm

would be an extraordinary candidate for mayor, he's extraordinarily valuable to the president. but no one is indispensable. if that's the direction he decides to go, there are many here who are ready to fill in the breach. but he hasn't made that decision. he and i both worked with mayor daley. we were stunned by the news, knowing how much the mayor loved that job. so he's digesting that news and he'll make a decision in due time. >> all right, david axelrod, thank you so much. >> good to be with you. >> you too. and now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning to you and all of you. this morning bp released its first detailed report on the oil rig explosion that triggered one of the worst environmental disasters in u.s. history. nbc's chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson has details from venice, louisiana. anne. >> reporter: good morning, ann. this is bp's report. in it the oil giant makes the case that it alone is not responsible for the deepwater

horizon tragedy that killed 11 and polluted the gulf of mexico. bp does accept some of the blame but also points fingers at halliburton for what bp says was a bad cement job and at transocean, the owner of the rig. bp claims that transocean's crew did not respond properly when oil and gas came up the well and that the blowout preventer, the last line of defense in the case of an accident, was not properly maintained. in fact bp says the bop had an insufficiently charged battery. >> anne thompson, thanks so much. the fbi is trying to find out who wrote a bomb threat on a bathroom mirror of a thai airways jet on tuesday. the jet landed safely in los angeles but no bomb was found. two missiles hit targets in pakistan. ten militants who have been attacking nato forces in afghanistan were killed. a lion attack caught on tape. a lion jumped on a trainer last week at the mgm grand hotel in

las vegas. the trainer is okay but needed stitches in his arm. dramatic. it is now 7:21. let's turn back to meredith, matt and al. >> that could have been a lot worse, that really could have been. if that thing really wanted to hurt him, he probably would have killed him. >> he was just sending him a little message. >> wait a minute, what are you doing here? >> everybody pile on. >> mr. roker, busy morning for you. >> it is. we've got showers in the northeast with windy conditions as well. out west we're expecting to see some showers in the pacific northwest, heavy rain from hermine starts to move into oklahoma and kansas, missouri later on today and tomorrow. we've got sunshine in the northeast, also into the mid-atlantic states with very dry conditions. beautiful weather through the central plains on int and we have kind of a brisk start to the morning and some drizzle in a few spots around the bay area. definitely feels like fall this morning, as we have a fall-like

weather system draped across northern california, showers on the west slope of the sierra, maybe even snow above 8,000 feet north of lake tahoe today. for the bay area, drive time drizzle. breezy and cool all day long. partly cloudy skies. temperatures, though, mainly 50s and 60s today. the weekend, though, we're going to warm up. 70s and 80s inland. low 60s on the coast. and that's your latest weather. >> thanks so much. more of joran van der sloot's interview and what he has to say about natalee holloway and the family of the daughter she [ male announcer ] how can rice production in india, affect wheat output in the u.s., the shipping industry in norway, and the rubber industry, in south america? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex global economy. it's just one reason 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence.

request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information to read and consider carefully before investing. as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

>> coming up, meredith goes back to her first job. >> after your local news. refreshing. glamorous. provocative. breathtaking. charming.

dazzling. dramatic new jackets. a ravishing repertoire... ♪ ain't got that swing brilliantly orchestrated. only at chico's. good morning to you. it's 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. i want to check the morning commute with mike. still some trouble on the bay bridge. >> upper decks, very slow right now, laura, because, well, for the last 45 minutes, almost an hour, we've had transmission fluid being cleared up from the slow lane approaching san francisco. a very slow drive there. the metering lights were turned on early because of that. the backup now coming on to the maze. and as you're approaching the area, slow off the east shore freeway. the maps will show you more slowing southbound 680 coming through walnut creek because an earlier accident has just cloered from that interchange with 24. there's a slowdown coming out of concord and into walnut creek. and very slow coming out of the altamont pass.

the earlier fuel spill and cig alert there cleared up over half an hour ago. speeds still below 20 miles per hour. that's better, rob. trust me. >> we're waiting for temperatures to warm up today, but probably not a whole lot. you can see some passing by to the east, providing enough lift to the moisture outside to get us some drizzle this morning. and we've got that all-day-long ocean breeze, not going to warm up much today. up inl tand. we'll start moupnland. more news afr the break. [ bell rings ] what are you doing, friending somebody? yeah. you got time for that?

you got time to earn more on your savings, online at capitalone.com. that's new school banking, baby! instead of earning squatootski... your savings will be earning three times the national average. now, let's review. capital one interestplus savings... at three times more. go to capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? are you a pisces? but what were the results? fact: brown promised to improve schools. but the drop out rate increased 50%, and the state had to take over the schools. fact: the city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours... they never worked. fact: brown promised to cut crime. but murders doubled, making oakland the 4th most dangerous city in america. jerry brown. he just can't deliver the results california needs now. parking changes in san

francisco are making it easiest for drivers to avoid expensive tickets, but also reducing money the city collects from parking tickets. sf park program allows drivers to pay for meters not with coins but with credit or debit cards. starting next year, drivers will also be able to pay via cell phone. transportation leaders say despite an anticipated drop in parking charges, they still expect to generate more parking meter revenue because it will be easier for people to pay and they can change meter rates based on demand for spaces. another local news update in half an hour. see you then.

7:30 on this wednesday morning, september 8th, 2010. a nice crowd kicking up today. we went outside to say hello. inside the studio, i'm meredith i havary and we have safety warnings for parents. >> it's about the booster seats you use in your car for your children. are they keeping your most precious cargo safe? we have the results of a new test coming up and this is something a lot of parents need to pay attention to. >> on a lighter note, after matt's paper route, it's time for me to go back to my first job as a tap dance teacher.

hard to find there. >> how did you do that as a job. >> i did it for like three years. >> there thousands of kids. >> who need help right now. some of the kids are grown and in that group. >> it happens. they grow up. and a little programming note. tomorrow on "today," al and i will be back in new orleans for a celebration of the city and the europe bowl champion saints are kicking off the season tomorrow led by quarterback drew breeze who has been a hero to that city on and off the field. we will talk to drew and celebrate the city and get ready for football as we kickoff tomorrow on "today" in new orleans. >> that are will be fun. now to jor an van der sloot suspected in the disappearance of american teenager natalee holloway five years ago in o rubra. he is a wading trial for a

murder of a woman in peru. he sat down with a journalist and we will talk to the journalist in a moment. michelle has more of the wide-ranging interview. >>ed if morning. for three months van der sloot has been locked in this peruvian prison kept in isolation out of worry that inmates would kill him. he said it's not so terrible as it is portray and even the food is not bad. he teaches the guards english and wants to be moved into the general population to have more freedom. he said he is no longer afraid. living behind bars, an accused killer, jor an van der sloot said he is doing okay. >> i'm trying to spend my time reflecting back on everything that has happened. >> he describes days in a secure wing with two other prisoners. the small private cell with a hole in the floor for a toilet. each morning he does push ups

and takes a shower. when the reporter remarks how laid back he seems, he said he trice. >> i will have enough time to think about the future and what i want to do and all that. that's important also. i need to start thinking more about the future and less about every day. >> what future that is is far from clear. accused of beating and suffocating stephany floor nes his hotel room in may. >> very nice girl. she was like a friend. >> she accused of extortion in connection with the case of natalee holloway. the american high school student last seen alive with him in aruba more than five years ago. he said he took money from her family and lied when he told her where to find the remains. >> they're kept contacting me and asking for it so i said at one point i thought okay, i took advantage of the situation.

>> on "today," the holloway family attorney said it was the other way around. >> here contacted me directly, sort of pathetic desperate way he was asking for money and demanding money in exchange for information. the whole premises of giving him the money is understanding he was going to lie. >> jor an said he has been wronged. >> people bothering me and lying to me and anything else. i have a lot of anger because that was also. >> now kept away from the sunshine, he does yoga, meditates and reads. he gets letters, mostly from americans and all he claims supportive. what he enjoys now is teaching. guards come to his cell to learn english. he wants to make the most of time. understanding this is only the beginning. >> i guess a lot of the time i thought maybe consequences didn't apply to me and now is a

good time to see that just like for everything you do, there is a consequence. >> he said he fully expecting to be behind bars for a year or two awaiting trial and whatever happens in peru, he faces extradition in the u.s. for extortion against him. >> thank you very much. john is a crime reporter for the dutch newspaper the telegraph. good morning to you. how did this interview come about? did he contact you or did you contact him? >> i contacted him after he was arrested and i went to aruba and i asked her if she was going to visit jor an and she said i'm never going to visit him there. she was angry to her son and she said i give him phone calls and she had a large bag with clothes

for him and asked me to put it to peru. she asked me if i go to peru to bring the bags with him. >> you took the bag and gained confidence and got the interview? >> yes. he put me on the security list and i went in june to joran to interview for the telegraph and i cannot come back with cameras to do an interview. >> two things, any money change hands? >> no. >> any preconditions that you couldn't ask him? >> everything i could ask him. only one condition. the director of the prison gave permission when joran said negative things about the castro castro prison. >> cooperate say anything negative about the prison. as you sat down it struck me how relaxed he is. >> i'm a crime reporter for more than 30 years and i spoke to a lot of prisoners in foreign

countries and they are upset and panicked. it's hard to stay there. he is relaxed and calm and he's adapted to the situation. he's dealing with the guards. it's unbelievable. >> he wants to move into the general population. >> in a special section for foreigner inmates. there also people from the netherlands over there. now he is 23 hours a day in his cell and wants to go to another section to do some sporting. >> he seemed to have a smirk on his face from time to time. what did you make that was? >> it's strange. maybe because he was nervous, but he's shaking his head and i believe one of the parts of the interview he is calm and laughing and when i talked to him about natalee holloway and stephany flores, he had no emotions. that's very strange. >> and he did say he had no

connection with the natalee holloway case. >> he said it. he did a confession about the black mailing of the family holloway, but he said i have nothing to do with her disappearance. >> you surprised he admitted to extorting money from the family? that he admitted to that? >> yeah. he's angry with the family holloway and that's the reason why he took their money. now at this moment in the interview, he said i didn't have to do this, but he made that confession. it's a big danger for him. maybe in peru he stays in prison for five or six years. when manslaughter -- >> why did he make the confession? >> maybe a slip of the tongue? maybe he thinks there is enough

evidence in the case that it's better for me to tell what happened? i don't know. >> if you had to summarize his character from that meeting, how would you? >> a man with two faces. kind at one moment and the other moment i think he can be dangerous. >> thank you so much. >> okay. >> appreciate it. we will have a special report joran van der sloot behind bars here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather with al. >> and good morning as we take a look at the afternoon temperatures for the day. a little on the toasty side as we move on into the southeast. temperatures in the 90s there. 100s in the southwest. 60s in new england and showers and 60s in the pacific northwest. heavy rain from hermine and

here's what's happening right now across the golden gate bridge. we have cloudy skies and still some drizzle at times for your commute there, heading across the peninsula this morning. you can see the system spinning by to the east. that's going to keep things quite cool, as even our skies start to clear some. we'll see partly cloudy conditions, but mostly 60s inland. upper 60s san francisco, but the weekend ahead does look warmer, more september like, you might say. 70s and 80s inland, 60s on the coast. >> that's your latest weather. meredith? >> important information that can save your child's life. the best and the worst booster seats. after this. [ female announcer ] fact.

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we are back at 7:14 on today's consumer booster seats.

ap important safety alert from the insurance institute for highway safety. if you drive with small children in your car, you need to watch this. tom costello has the details. good morning to you. >> good morning. this is the third round of booster seat tests for the institute for highway safety. the majority of booster seats could do a better job of keeping kids safe. let me introduce you to a friend of mine, jesse. how are you? >> good. >> the point of a booster seat is to keep kids like jesse lifted up. he is 4 years old and the strap needs to come across his thigh like this, not across his tummy. the strap here needs to come across his chest and sternum. if it's not positioned well, the injuries could be serious. it's a crash test designed for children too big for car seats, but not too big for booster seats. at 35 miles per hour, the

unrestrained dummies are catapulted into the dashboard and windshield, the injuries potentially life-threatining. nationwide in 2008, 700 children under 12 were killed in car accidents and 38% of them were not properly restrained. for nearly all kids under 8 and many kids older than that, seatbelts are not enough. booster seats are critical to lifting kids up, strapped in n and keeping them safe. >> they are designed for adults and not children. the danger with adults is that if the belt is riding over the abdomen or the tummy of the child, that's a soft part of the body vulnerable to injury. >> the institute for highway safety said most booster seats do not consistently fit well. of 72 tested, the institute lists 21 booster seats as best buys. seven more as good bets. 36 boosters might work for some

kids in some cars, but not all. 8 seats are not recommended, including two models by eddie bauer and three from even flo, two from safety first and 1 from harmony. this lap belt is coming across the tum skpet shoulder strap hits the neck. the child gets tired of that and puts the strap under his or her arm. properly fitting can reduce the risk of injury in a crash by 45%. many parents are surprised at how long children should stay in a booster. >> really that 4 foot 9 is the magic number. >> 4 foot 9? >> you want your child to be 4 foot 9. that's pretty tall. you want your kids coming up to your shoulder. what's most important is not the age, but the fit. most children do not fit proper flee a seatbelt into a booster seat. >> 4 foot 9, 80 pounds women

talked to the company that makes the eddie bauer and safety first models and they say they meet or exceed the government standards, but continue to evolve their products to see that standards improve and the professional and performance guidelines and technologies and designs improve as well. the bottom line is if you have a booster seat, make sure it fits well. high five. have a good day at school. okay. back to you. >> nice job and by the way, we will make sure parents get the information and we will put the information on the seats that tested favorably and unfavorably on our website at "today" show.com. where bed bugs anvehanod lw. afte r this. look at all this stuff for coffee. oh there's tons. french presses, expresso tampers, filters. it can get really complicated. not nearly as complicated as shipping it, though. i mean shipping is a hassle. not with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that is easy. best news i've heard all day! i'm soooo amped!

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the federal government is warning about a resurgence of bed bugs and it's not just in

big cities either. in topeka, kansas, good morning to you. >> reporter: the folks here learn they have something in common with their big city cousins. in topeka, kansas, ed is a bed bug's worst nightmare. >> how often do do you this? >> every day. >> in 15 years in the pest control business, he never saw anything like it. >> how busy are you now? >> do 10 to 40 different jobs a month. it's taken off. >> these services cover five states. in just six months, calls about infestations have gone from three a week to as many as 10 a day. >> we have a guest that reported possible bed bugs. >> i have a case of bed bugs. >> we expected it and knew it would come. when you have a society that travels as much as ours travels, it's only a matter of time.

>> a nationwide exterminator said ohio is the most infested state in the country and the 15 most infested states are new york, chicago, and los angeles, but medium sides mid-western cities like cincinnati, indianapolis and louisville and others from boston to denver. >> we are in the heart of america. there bed bugs here just like the big cities. >> many of the chemical pesticides have been banned. here a demonstration of what experts say is one sure way to kill bed bugs. several hours of more than 120 degree heat. >> it is hot in here. what's the temperature about? >> the air is about 128. if you look at bed bugs on the table, they have been here about 90 minutes and you have roasted bed bugs. >> an effective pesticide could be 10 years away. until then? >> we will have to develop this consciousness that anywhere we go, whatever we do, bed bugs

might be there. >> the battle against bed bugs has taken to the skies and they are treating commercial airliners. >> john, thank you, i think. >> coming up, meredith goes back to her first job as a tap instructor after your local news. because we're big on sha. our pens... our snacks... everything... and one of the best ways to protect yourself and your coworkers is with a flu shot from walgreens. with the most pharmacists certified to immunize and walk-ins welcome every day, we're making it easier for everyone to get their flu shot. get yours at walgreens and take care clinics today. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. ♪ [ female announcer ] the best way to tell how great you look is in your jeans.

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good morning to you. it's 7:56 right now. breaking news that we're following. police are in a standoff with an armed man in a parking lot in a mcdonald's. this is going on in the foothills farms area of sacramento county this morning. these are live pictures that you're looking at. so far, the officials appear to be on the cell phone talking to the man. members of the special weapons and tactics team were also seen in the area, as you can see. multiple police agencies responding to the scene. a large s.w.a.t. truck also has appeared. we'll, of course, keep you posted on the situation right now, what's going on in sacramento county. closer to hope, let's check in with mike with a look at our morning commute. >> around the bay bridge, the

earlier backup on the toll plaza has had a ripple effect throughout the maze. very slow on 580 coming up through oakland and down off the east shore freeway, really jammed up there as well as coming across those bridges. >> clouds and some drizzle around the bay area today. this is a fall-like preview we're going to see, your afternoon high temperatures today, 67, san jose. 60 for san francisco. mid-60s in oakland now as we head towards the weekend. temperatures will start to climb back into the 70s and 80s inland on friday. 7:57 right now. more news after the break. ay

sunnyvale fire investigators hope you might be able to help catch a firebug who's getting dangerous. they released a sketch of a man who they say set 15 fires since may. they believe he's around 20 years old. many of the fires burned near south fair oaks avenue, old san francisco road, and grand fir and garland avenues. the arsonist has torched mostly dumpsters, until last week. that's when he set a car on fire with someone sleeping inside. the person wasn't hurt. if you recognize the man or have any information, call sunnyvale police. another local news update for you in about half an hour. "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power

and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again. we are back at 8:00 on a wednesday morning on the 8th day of september, 2010. starting to drizzle a little bit here in the northeast in new york city, but we still have nice people gathered on the plaza. we thank them for sticking around and something tells me the rain could get heavier before it ends. >> it's going to get windy here. >> thanks to the nice folks out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer with meredith i havary and al roker. coming up in a couple of minutes, meredith revisits her first job. >> i was a tap dancing instructor. believe it or not, i got right

back in the swing of things with old friends, including women who were here when i taught the dancing. >> some of your former students? >> yes. former students. you should know this when you returned to your paper boy route. you didn't tell the whole story. jay leno had a scoop on the tonight show. take a look. >> matt lauer revisits his first job as a paper boy am he went back and retraced his old paper route with the girl who is now doing it. he is rusty. take a look. >> i pedalled my way bringing the news to america, one paper at a time. my corner of the world was the rental complex on field stone drive. i delivered along a string of garden apartments in my old working class neighborhood. >> her lawyer called this morning. you are in big trouble.

>> she was in the way. >> that's what happens. >> we walked down the aisle here on "today" while you the viewers have done a fantastic job helping to pick the prize. today you get to see the choices for the dress she will wear on the biggest date in her life. be ready to choose wisely. i want to see that again. >> i'm sure we will. let's go inside to ann curry with a look at the news headlines. >> thanks so much. good morning once again. a firestorm, the kind you usually see out west destroyed two dozen homes in detroit. 85 homes in all in several neighborhoods. no injuries have been reported. officials say the fires may have been sparked by a dead tree limit that fell over power lines

and more than 100,000 customers lost power. a wildfire is raging out of control near boulder, colorado meantime. about half of the homes have been destroyed and 3500 people have been evacuated. authorities are investigating report that is the fire may have been started by the car that may have been driven into a propane tank. bp said multiple companies contributed to the massive oil spill in the gulf of mexico. bp blames itself and partners for one of the worst environmental disasters in u.s. history. they now said they are examining how to make future projects safer. here brian williams with what's coming up on nightly news. >> good morning and thanks. coming up tonight, he's an nfl star making a difference in his african homeland, his passion to bring needed medical and dental care and school supplies and a lot of hope. we will have his story on

nightly news. back to you. >> thanks so much. let's go back outside to matt, meredith and al. >> thank you very much. >> it's drizzling a little bit. >> it doesn't stop like this. it takes time. >> do i that. i have the utility. your honeymoon and your birthday. what's your name? >>ative any and benjamin. >> happy birthday and happy wedding. nice folks from kansas. >> correct. >> you are not in kansas anymore. what's your name? >> jerome and susan. >> yankees fans? >> born and bred in long island. yes. >> let's check the weather and see what's happening. blue field, west virginia. they have partly cloudy skies and should be nice. we have remnants of hermine causing big flooding in texas into oklahoma. wet weather in the pacific northwest with a system moving in.

showers and 65 in seattle today we have plenty of sunshine along the southeastern atlantic coast. fire danger with here's the view of san jose. doesn't look like september especially when you consider we had drizzle and at times light rain around san francisco, enough to wet the roads for your morning drive. drive-time drizzle out there. we should see partly cloudy conditions this afternoon, but cool and breezy conditions. 60s for san jose. maybe near 70 in the warmer places inland. another cool day tomorrow. 's the weekend when things turn around as inland temperatures climb into the 70s and 80s. that's your latest weather, matt? >> thanks very much. want to see meredith tap dance? meredith goes back to her very first job as a tap teacher after these messages. ♪

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[ female announcer ] get low prices on all your favorites for the game. no oil has flowed into the gulf for weeks, but it's just the beginning of our work. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility foclr e up and that includes keeping you informed. my job is to listen to the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers and find ways to help. that means working with communities. we have 19 centers in 4 states. we've made over 120,000 claims payments, more than $375 million. we've committed $20 billion eato inn adependent clai fundn to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. we'll keep looking for oil, cleaning it up if wfindt i and restoring the gulf coast. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. bp is gonna be here until the oil is gone

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back now at 8:10 with today's first jobs. i took you back to my paper route. >> my first job was teaching tap dancing in east providence, rhode island. mrs. d passed away last year, but her memory is very much alive as i recently found out. >> the first thing you know, it was like that. i loved the sound of that. i like making noise. i think that's what it was. maybe because i'm a tom boy. it was fun. my mom gave us the option.

dance or an instrument. i remember her taking me to this place, a dance studio. i could hear mrs. g telling the kids, step, tap, step, tap. i thought this was really cool. mrs. g was really the dancer. i learned early on that she had been a rockette. i ended up teaching tap to little kids. mrs. g said i was ready and taught them and put together a recital and it was great. put on a happy face was one of my favorites. you always look for the junior teacher to attach yourself to. she was easy to do that with. >> when meredith first started, she was 7. she was a very good dancer. she knew her music. i wouldn't ask her to sing, but

she was a good dancer. >> my mom used to teach her and her brother jeff ballroom dancing. >> my brother started and he was actually a really good tap dancer. i'm not sure how much he liked it. >> i blotted out most of those memories. every year they would pair meredith and me up. like fred and ginger doing a scene dance. i led and she followed. she followed very well. >> you always made sure you got out front. >> i remember doing sleeping beauty and he was prince charming. we have a framed picture of that. my mother had it in the house. especially for jazz. >> i choose to forget that if

possible. >> meredith was a shy girl. very quiet. never spoke out of turn. then she grew up. absolutely. i have no doubt in my mind. >> dancing with the stars? >> no. >> i would never consider doing "dancing with the stars." performance was never my thing. meredith being a bit whacky and a ham, she took to that. ♪ take me out toft ball game >> they make fun of my interview and i sense jealously. ♪ because it's one, two, three -- ♪ >> in that seat, it's gutsy. i did step dancing with the irish step. once again, showing my skills as a dancer.

>> i have seen her dance at home. she should stick to her day job. >> when i came to the "today" show, my one big fantasy had always been dancing with the rockettes. that was the coolest thing. i'm not a particularly good dancer, except for tap. the studio with mrs. g and for that period of time that, hour, you did fantasize about being a dancer. today i'm back at the building where i first took dance east of where i grew up in east providence, rhode island: hi! >> not only was her daughter phyllis a phenomenal dancer. she was the sister i never had. i was a jr. bride's maid at her wedding. i connected with the women who had danced at the studio and we dugout the tap shoes for the mini reunion.

>> hi, everybody. you may have been my inspiration. >> did you become a teacher? >> no. >> did we dance together? >> yes. >> you were the most beautiful. i can't believe it! >> within minutes we were back at mrs. g's. then it was my turn to teach the class. >> to the side. oh, yeah. that's right! now the shuffle.

now the slam. >> it was a big part of my life. it really was. my is thes were spent in the studio. i met a lot of kids here. i got a lot of confidence here. i learned a new skill. i learned to dream in a way. big dreams. i learned to -- yeah. to dream about possibilities. there so many dance studios in the country, but the person that heads it up. mrs. g. was special. that's the one thing that connects us in the dance studio. it frees you.

>> kurtzy and you are all excused. >> take another bow! very nice! >> maybe you saw the end or that was her that was so inspirational. phyllis is her daughter. i have to thank them for putting them this together. >> the pictures were fantastic. >> do you want a little -- >> what are we doing some. >> you haven't got tap shoes on. >> i think we got something here. >> back, forward. back, back, forward. keep walking. now back. >> i can't wait to see what leno does with this. he will get knocked over.

>> move your hands if you can. make a circle. shuffle like a buffalo. >> i'm shoving out of here. >> that's it. big finale. >> ladies and gentlemen, meredith vieira. >> we'll be right back after this. >> after this. >> big finish!in radiating pain everywhere... and i wondered what it was. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can do more with the ones i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions

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[ children shouting ] come on, kiddo, let's go. [ laughs ] hold on a second... come on up here where your brothers sit. [ birds chirping ] wow! did i ever tell you what it was like growing up with four sisters? that sounds fun. yeah...fun for them! [ male announcer ] chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. >> football fans know joe kelly as the quarterback for buffalo bill, but his family life posed some of the biggest challenges. in his book without a word how unspoken words said everything. he lost a battle with a rare genetic disease and jim and jill's only battle to save their

marriage. good to have you back. this is very personal book. you hold almost nothing back between hunter's fight for his live and your battle with depression and your marital issues. any second thoughts about sharing things in such a condit fashion? >> there wasn't so much second thoughts, but we both sat down with the marriage counsellor and had to determine that we were going to be vulnerable. the things we shared we had never talked about before. when jim and i sat down to talk about those things, it took a lot of prayer. >> i'm looking at the two of you holding hands and this question is for you. she honest about you in this book. some of it is not that flattering. for the fan who is knew from you days on the field and as a hall of famer and this image that you had created, this gets shaken a little bit in this book. >> no doubt. more for me was i knew as when

you have a special boy, hunter was born on my birthday, valentine's day and all the things we went through caring for him and how our life changed in our home. i was away and jill was home with hunter. there came a point where i said it's time to be the father and husband i should have been many years before. to be honest, i think i was a great father, but not such a great husband. it took a knock upside my head that if i wanted to see my son again, the only ways to straighten my act up and have my daughters look me in the eye. >> one of the things that came across, hunter died at the age of 8 and never spoke a word in his life. he managed to teach both of you a lot. i wonder if you can explain that. people may not understand how that can happen. >> it was an incredible thing. i feel the grace of god moving into our home through hunter's life and showing us the value of

life because we now appreciate one single breath and a smile. hunter never smiled either. all the things we take for granted we appreciate that much more. he taught us to put our whole life in the hans of god. everything was out of control. no cure, no treatment for his disease. he was a beautiful boy. he taught us everything. >> i want to ask you, you have two other children, daughters 15 and 11? >> yes. >> how did you manage in hunter's challenging days not allow that to steal their childhood away? >> they loved their brother. they looked at him as though it was hunter and even though he was disable and dying -- >> even though so much of your attention needed to be on hunter? >> they helped. they did the fun things. it was hard. >> you tried not to change up too much. even for hunter, i tried to

involve the girls and things we were doing. whether therapy for hunter or myself being able to watch a football game with my son and trying to get the daughters involved too. >> it's a very honest book and good morning to you. it's 8:26. i'm laura garcia cannon. mike telling us about the 880. >> you see a stalled vehicle near the top of the screen blocking the fast lane. crews are on scene. where it was moving smoothly northbound on 880. now we have a problem for the east bay. westbound 4 at 80. there is an accident there as well as westbound 80 at san pablo. 45 minutes off the bridge over to the congested maze which cleared. big backups through the maze and the toll plaza. things are moving.

the approach off 580 and 24 a nightmare. the low clouds hanging out there. >> a little bit of a sunny break there. as you can see, our temperatures this afternoon as the sun breaks through the clouds not warming up at all today. 63 in san jose. close to 60 san francisco today. tomorrow, also mild but the weekend we warm up, 70s and 80s inland. 60s on the coast with morning clouds. me is 8:27. more news after the break.

this morning, health insurance company pacificare faces fines from state regulators. the california department of insurance accuses the company of violating state law over 1 million times between 2006 and 2008. charges against pacificare include mishandling claims and losing patient documents. they deny the allegations. another local news update in half an hour. "today" returns in less than a minute. have a great morning.

8:30 on this wednesday morning, september 8th, 2010. cloudy skies in manhattan, but nothing but sunny smiles as far as the eye can see. we have more wedding planning to do. melissa and jer emy and their wedding date is fast approaching. in a moment we will reveal the

pick for their reception location where they will exchange vows. >> cool news. melissa is here with her mom. you know what else is happening? jeremy is on his way back from afghanistan today. he will be with us for the first time out on the plaza next week. great news. >> wonderful. coming up this morning, we talked about earlier this morning, the lion attack. we will talk to the guy who shot this videotape and it's amazing that he held the camera pretty steady. that is a frightening moment. the trainer, by the way, just needing stitches, but a dramatic moment. >> okay. also a programming note. this young fellow on the end and i will be heading into a plane in a little while off to new orleans. we will bring you the show from there tomorrow. at least half of the show in the city that is ready for football after the saints won the super

bowl earlier this year. thanks in part to that guy right there. drew breeze. we will spend time down in the big easy tomorrow morning right here on "today." >> very excited. >> yeah. >> and they are playing the vikings? >> bret favre into town. >> that's right. i'm retiring. >> it's going to be hot. at the dome stadium. i want to go over and say hello to donna richardson who is the ceo with the 20th annual race for the cure. the komen race for the cure. >> that's right. this sunday september 12th is the 20th annual race for the cure in new york city. >> people want more information? >> go to

and here's a look at san jose. look at the gray skies. still drizzle around the bay area this morning. temperatures in the 50s and 60s. we'll probably add maybe ten degrees for highs today. you can see we have a frontal system draped across the bay area out to the sierra where we'll see showers and snow. for the bay area, 67 san jose. 70 around fair field. 60s san francisco. the seven-day forecast shows a warm-up on the way for the weekend. thank you so much.

james mccubry learned to use a computer at 95. i don't even know my password. bet fre birmingham, alabama is 100 and teaches a class about writing memoirs. of course wonderful friends and family. john from michigan is 102. he was founder of the gurnzy farm dairy. my father was a milk man down the line. milk cows. sam from wal town, new jersey came from italy in the 20s. a retired dress maker and only the best in the business. we have ed from silver spring,

maryland. a mile down the road and a redskins fan. rose from holster, california. attributes longevity to having ladies' night at the local bar. good for her. hi, big boy. check my jer toll. ethyl from el paso is nicknamed the queen of her community and loves paintings and also going to dances. that's it. back to new york. >> up next, our bride, melissa just to my left fines out what she decided in terms of the location for her big wedding reception. first, this is toetsds "today" on nbc. hi

as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

>> this morning on the modern

love, melissa and jeremy's ceremony will be held on cent 30th on the plaza, but where will they be celebrate something jeremy will be with us next week and is flying home as we speak from afghanistan. we have wedding planner extrordinaire live at the venue that you chose for them to remind you of the options. central park zoo and goth am hall. more than 90,000 votes. where are you? >> i'm at the hudson terrace. >> beautiful! >> i think it's amazing. i think it will be incredible. >> remind us of some of your ideas. >> what i love about this idea is you have this great open space with magnificent views of the hudson, almost like being on a cruise line. it's young and it's fresh and

the idea with the meal service, they will go downstairs and cut the cake, celebrate and dance until the sun comes up the following day. >> should it rain like today, there is a back up there. the roof comes together. >> the great thing is the roof comes off. they can be outdoors or indoors. you are pretty well covered. they have cake down there and dancing. one of the themes we like to do is have two chapters. one chapter for the dining and another for the dancing. >> i think it's beautiful. i would have been happy with any of them, but it's wonderful. more than i could ever imagine. >> very hip and modern. >> the wedding dress. to get you in the mood to look at dresses and kathy lee and i shared the stories behind our dresses.

>> my wedding dress was simple. a beautiful align and very audrey hepburn. not much detail except for a simple waist band of pearls and diamonds. >> a ballerina's tutu is short. knee-length. >> my wedding dress was princessy. puffy sleeves and a v-neck. a cotton pretty dress. >> it's hard to remember. it was a second marriage. i settled for a very short little number. >> i weighed 104 pounds at the time. i couldn't get my left thigh in the whole thing if i tried. memories of highway great i used to be ♪ >> i never have been a girlie girl. the first dress i tried is the one i got. suddenly i realized this is a big deal. in the end i threw the tom boy

out and said i'm a woman this day and i am going to look good. i remember thinking this is the one. i look back at it now and i say are you sure? when you look down at the end of the aisle and see your husband there and it's his glimpse of you in the dress, he was over-wellmed by the emotion as well. he liked what he saw. i felt festive and sex, but in control. i felt pretty and that the day was everything i had dreamed since i was a little girl. >> in the moment my father saw me, he had a big grin. it was a very emotional wedding. my father had had a health scare two months before and the fact that he could walk me down the aisle to this day makes me cry. >> the biggest memory was after the wedding was over, rich and i never ate and we decided to go

the favorite chinese restaurant down the streets of manhattan and they are going congratulations and they can tell wedding couple. that was the moment for me. >> i think there is something about the dress. we imagine ourselves when we are young what we want to look like when we walk down the aisle. more than anything, we want to feel special. >> i'm getting teary. >> thank you so much. you guys looked great! >> thank you. you are going to look gorgeous. you brought your mom along. >> i did. >> four dresses you have in mind and you at home will get to vote on nbc. [ male announcer ] we went to germany's nurburgring

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more of our special series, modern love. we have the rings and where the reception will be. we have to pick out the all important gown. the wedding dress. she brought a long her mom, mary to see the options. from the knot.com and the style checklist, good morning to everybody. i have to remind everybody that the groom to be is flying home as we speak. you must be so happy. >> i'm so excited. it's that time. >> from the time you were a little girl, did you fantasize about the dress you would wear to your wedding? >> i don't know if i was that kind of girl that fantasized about that, but right now i'm in the moment. >> you brought your mother, mary. this is her gown from her wedding. what does it mean to you to

witness your daughter going through the process? >> it's been really, really exciting. we are just so happy for both of them and excited they are getting married and this has been a wonderful experience for a small mid-western family. >> we are here to share with you and we got a sneak peek at the gowns. i have to say that jeremy chose to wear this dress, but the tux he will wear for the reception. it's important and a version of it all the grooms men will wear. let's get started. the first category is modern romance. very fitting. come on out. we were inspired by the modern feel of this. this is by a fantastic designer who it's a beautiful draped silk. what is fantastic about this dress, i don't know if the

viewers can see, but show us the bag. it's a little bit of a tank. it's a blurb tone that is hot on the runway. it's beautifully flattering here. >> when you look at this gentlemen here, his name is chet. he is wearing a tommy hilfiger 25th anniversary collection from head to toe. it's a two-button jacket. we did a navy blue tie with a modern twist with a european edge. the bravest of men can do it. >> thank you very much. next up, we will move on to a retro glam look. this is alexis and hugo. >> we are so excited about this dress. it's a fun piece. >> 20s inspired. it's slim and beautiful beading. this is by lazaro and has these chiffon ruffles.

this is a hot trend. easy to dance in. >> three pieces is a way to go if you want to be totally retro. you want to leave it sharp. i love the cuff links and the contrast. >> thank you, guys. we are going to bring in the third choice. classic elegance modelled by dante. >> here you see we went with a very classic look and lace. the champagne lace is really beautiful. and the thing about this is the satin bow it gives it a modern look. it goes around and it's sexy in the back. >> very pretty. it's great. >> why not have the groom wear something pale to have it be

really dreamy. we did a great silk tie. talk about a two-button jacket that shines, this is the one. >> thank you, guys. a more sophisticated drama look. >> this is dramatic. >> this is a couture look and red carpet with all the celebrities. it's a beautiful silk and rosettes. dramatic, but modern in a tradition 58 gown. >> i'm looking at the groom here. >> this is a single button and ready to g. >> everybody looks fantastic. can you bring everybody out to look at them all. thank you so much. what do you think of the gowns? >> they are beautiful. any of them would be perfect.

gorgeous. >> it's up to the audience at home. thank you again. you did a great job. every piece is beautiful. go to our website, todayshow.com to voed for which you want to see them wear on their big day. go to facebook.com/today show. follow our progress. we will be chebing the page and text in your votes. one for modern romance. two for retro glm and four for sophisticated drama. did you get all that. that's a lot to get. we will reveal the winning dress next wednesday. please vote. meanwhile this is "today" on nbc. we'll be right back.

sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. but what were the results? fact: brown promised to improve schools. but the drop out rate increased 50%, and the state had to take over the schools. fact: the city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours... they never worked. fact: brown promised to cut crime. but murders doubled, making oakland the 4th most dangerous city in america. jerry brown. he just can't deliver the results california needs now. 'cause i'm a papa bear. you -- look at you, mr. high-tech hollywood, with all your high-tech gizmos. it's how i roll. you roll like a dinosaur with that tiny interest rate. try new school banking at capitalone.com your savings will be earning three times the national average. hmm. you gotta stop earning zippo, t-rex! get a higher rate, pterodactyl. interest plus savings at three times the national average. go to capitalone.com

what's in your wallet? two spoons please! ( barking ) but destroys fleas. so ae, fo advantage, the flea specialist for gentle, but effective, flea control. >>ar this morning we are checking in with the winner of the pepsi refresh grant to see how they are spending their money. you helped us choose a nonprofit to receive a grant from the pepsi project. all were impressive and the runners up got $50,000 and they

are all going strong. >> the winner of the $100,000 pepsi refresh is the bay area food bank! >> the bay area food bank distributed over 200,000 pounds of food to families to the mobile pantry program. many of them affected by the gulf oil spill. >> the recession was bad enough. this added another 10 or 15% to the need that was already here. because of the pepsi grant, we have been able to increase the number of pantry operations. >> the grant money will go to after school and child nutrition programs. >> getting them to stay and have a snack and get tutoring keeps them from being in the neighborhood and maybe having a problem. >> the bay area food bank was not the only winner. project surf cam, gateway greening and urban artworks received a $50,000 grant from the pepsi refresh project.

>> thank you. >> this is definitely one of the things we will check into purchasing. >> pror ject surf camp wants to reach children with special needs. >> it will provide us the opportunity to take the organization on the road and even affect more lives and get more children involved in the ocean and surfing. >> gateway greening in st. louis hopes to power their urban farm and job training program year around by building a hoop house. >> we know the demand for healthy fresh food doesn't disappear. it allows you to extend your growing season to year around so even in the coldest months, you can be growing fresh, healthy food. without the money from pepsi refresh, it would have taken us four or five years to get to the point we will be at next spring.

>> michael martinez. >> urban artworks was able to graduate a class the students. >> we will serve about 40 youths which is big for us in the cool year. we were able to end not in debt and actually pay for the projects in full. that's a huge relief for a small organization like us. >> a great organization. the money is useful and feels god see that. >> meanwhile, i think i pulled a hammy. tomorrow, we have your job? >> my job is tomorrow. >> what was your first job? >> like a lot of young girls, it was baby-sitting. i actually -- i have two kids of my own so i came into it. >> you are fridp.ye yep.

>> natalie is tomorrow also. >> oh, good. good morning to you. 8:56 now. i want to check in with mike for an update on the commute. >> on the bay bridge the backup is in full force. the crane because of construction work in the parking lot that's not affecting lanes. what is is the problem of a disabled vehicle that's caused

repercussions. the travel times reflect that. highway 24 very slow. travel times have a lot of red that means below 20 miles per hour. 880 northbound past the colosseum. the earlier stall was an issue there. liverme astmongo recover. remore aft this. of the mansion o budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

you can't really love me. i know about gayle. i don't know what you're talking about. if you just tell me what happened... [ ding ] [ man ] 35th and archer. next stop hamilton. [ brakes hiss ] ♪ [ male announcer ] now you can watch hit tv shows on your iphone when you get at&t u-verse tv. at&t. rethink possible. a 36-year-old man is in jail after he was caught hiding in the attic of his former wife's house. police arrested hernandez yesterday in the town of oceano. sheriff deputies say he was sending text messages to her cell phone from the attic. in the messages he allegedly

described the interior of the house. they found him in a cardboard box. another local news update in 30 minutes. "today" returns in a minute. have a great morning.

we are back with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, the 8th day of september, 2010. a couple of minutes ago we were out here and it was drizzling and now it cleared up beautifully. crystal blue skies and not a cloud in it over our plaza. it moved through and now it gets windy. i was just in the midst of good news. >> maybe people like wind. >> matt lauer with mr. downer, al roker. we are with these nice people. thank you very much for sticking around. by the way, we showed you amazing video.

the lion attacking a trainer at the mgm grand in las vegas. luckily for the trainer, he escaped with minor jurisdiction. he required stitches, but it could have been much, much worse. we will talk to the couple who shot this video. they were on their honeymoon at the time. they were clearly startled as were the other on lookers. >> definitely temper mental. >> money 911, our experts will be looking at timly advice if you are under water on your mortgage and the best way to stretch your dollar if you are trying to save. how a bankruptcy filing affects your credit and for how long. >> you picked the bride and the groom and the rings and the reception location. now we showed you the choices for the bride's dress. all in preparation for the dig bay september 30th. you will see that coming up. the up to date accessories that

are now the hot newest thing to go along with the dress. a modern version with something old, something new. something borrowed, something blue. >> we are celebrating. >> las vegas. the little white chapel. >> ann is at the news desk for a check of the headline. >> thanks a lot, matt. in the news, bp said their own investigation found that no single factor caused the oil rig disaster last april that set off one of the worst environmental disasters in u.s. history. in a post on their website, they call it a tragedy that arose from a complex series of mechanical failures, engineering designs, human judgments and a lack of teamwork. 11 workers died when the rig exploded. a wind-driven fire destroyed at least two dozen homes in detroit on tuesday. they believe the blaze was sparked by tree limbs that fell

on to power lines and it fell from house to house, 85 in all. no injuries have been reported, but 100,000 people lost power. a wildfire near boulder colorado destroyed about 100 buildings, half of them houses. it forced 3500 people to evacuate and federal agencies are now commanding the firefighting effort as the area is now under a state of emergency. president obama heads to cleveland where he will propose giving small tax breaks to hire more workers. the president is going to urge congress to select tax cuts for wealthy americans expire. leader john boehner said he fought to block that by calling for a two-year freeze on all tax rates. >> iran's foreign ministry suspended the death by stoning sentence for a woman convicted of adultery and will review her case that sparked outrage.

the vatican with the condemn nation plans to burn copies of the koran on the ninth anniversary of the september 11 attacks. pastor terry jones in a small church said he is weighing the threat to burn the muslim holy book despite pressures from the obama administration and many others. two soldiers have been killed in iraq, the first since the military ended operations there more than a week ago. the troops were shot by an iraqi soldier following an argument at an iraqi compound. nine others were wounded. two suspected missile strikes that targets northwestern pakistan. they said at least 10 members of a group attacks nato forces were killed. the fbi is trying to find out who wrote a bomb threat on the bathroom wall on a jet that landed safely in los angeles and some 200 passengers were interview and no bomb was found.

both los angeles police chief is appealing for a calm and promising a thorough investigation of sunday's shooting of a day laborer that led to two days of protest. they arrested 22 demonstrators after some of them pelted the police station with eggs, rocks and bottles. they shot the immigrant twice when he lunged at with a knife. the 32 chilean miners got a glimpse of the world outside on tuesday. they got to watch their national soccer team play a friendly match against ukraine. the players for the team wore t-shirts that read strength to the miners during the national anthem. they have been trapped since an august 5th cave in. we will go back outside to matt. >> mr. roker? >> nice folks here. lake charles, louisiana. >> the cowboys!

>> want to say to anybody? >> hey, mom. >> let's check the weather and see what's happening. we have the rainfall totals in texas. it has been rough. we are talking abouter awhnye from to ten inches of rain the last 24 hours. look at twh radar. it continues to train up into wichita falls. they continue to drop tons of rain. we have flood warnings and watches in effect and in fact right now we are looking radar on rain wise. 8 to 12 inches of rain from oklahoma to tulsa. there is going to be flooding into springfield, here's something you don't see often on september 8th around the bay area. what's left of a cold front movinging through. you can see it draped over san jose now. on the radar view you can see showers to the east and a chance of high elevation snow across the highest peaks of the sierra today. bay area, breezy and cool with

sun breaking through the clouds but a cool day by september standards. mostly 60s inland. still cool but we warm up headed toward the weekend. that's your latest weather. ann? >> thank you so much. now to the dramatic footage of a trainer in mgm grand in las vegas gettinging attacked by a lion. the animal lunged in full view of tourists and spectators. the trainer only received stitches in his leg, but it was all caught on tape by a couple that was honeymooning in las vegas at the time. that couple is here from boseman, montana joining us by skype. good morning. >> morning. >> describe how this unfolded as we look at the videotape again. >> well, first we just saw the train they're got attacked that was cleaning off the lion. right before that happened, he

stepped back to the side and as you can see, we were filming the lion chewing on the stool at first because we thought that was the entertaining part. then that happened. >> what do you think happened here? did you feel that this was -- it looks as if it was unprovoked. titus? >> yeah. earlier he was cleaning the lion a little bit and picking hair off of him. just kind of taking care of him. it doesn't seem like he was provoking him at all. >> you mentioned this chair, drew. is it possible that the lion mistook the trainer for the chair or was somehow playing? was there a connection? >> i don't think so. the lioness is the one playing with the chair and she was in her own world until that happened. she kind of comes over and it looks like to us that she was trying to help the trainer that

was getting attacked and push him away. >> it does look like that. i think you're right. your reaction -- >> she is trying to sniff at him and trying to protect himself right there. he every right to do that. i don't think it's provoked. they are wild animals. >> how did you hold the camera so steady? >> i don't know. it was very shocking, but -- i don't know. >> you are laughing because it's amazing that you were able to hold it so steady because your emotions must have been running wild. >> they were. i was definitely shock and at first i thought should i continue filming this? it seemed horrific, but there was nothing i could do to help.

>> so you actually were concerned that the trainer was getting hurt? >> oh, yeah. definitely. we didn't know how it was going to end and if he was getting away. there happened to be a door right below us when the man finally gets out of the picture, the lion is looking for him and looking for him at the end of this. i guess that's where he slipped out to get away from him. the lion didn't seem like he wanted anything to do with the other trainer. he was set on the one he bitten. >> not something you expect to happen on your honeymoon. >> no. >> it was a dramatic beginning and titus and drew, we wish you a great marriage and thank you so much for spending time with us. i think you will be good at your family videos. good luck with that. >> thank you. >> coming up next on today's money 911, what to do if you owe

more on your home than it's worth and how to balance savings with college savings. the hot hews of fall. the five trendiest colors for your wardrobe after this. hey, you made your own lunch. yep! (mom) i'm so proud of you. the bus is here, gotta go mom. okay hunny, have a great day. look in your bag, made you something. (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif. activia has delicious news for dessert lovers. often, the best part of a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a heavy greasy dinner... my system needs some tlc. now there's something new. introducing activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake,

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>> if you are under water on your home, we have the financial editor and author of money 911. we have the author of start over, finish which. melissa lee, the host of cnbc's fast money. good to see you. let's get started. we have a live question from skype from katie who comes to us -- where are you from, katie? >> ft. meyers, florida. >> what's your question? >> i am a 29-year-old single mother with a 4-month-old daughter. i want to know what type of account is best to save for her college and my retirement where i get the most for my money and what's ideal on a $50,000 annual income. >> that's fabulous and good for you for not just thinking about college, but putting retirement in the mix. you have to put your own retirement first. do you have a 401(k) plan at

work or another plan where your employer is willing to throw in matching dollars? >> yes. >> that's where you go first. that's like the last free lunch on the planet. grab every one of the matching dollars you possibly can and aside from that, i would open a 529 college savings plan. saving for college.com and if you can put $1,000 in there a year and maybe three or four into the 401(k), you will do just fine. >> thank you. >> good luck, katie. next up an e-mail sent by peggy in philadelphia, pennsylvania. she writes her sister is bankrupt and has an ssd check each month. she need to apply for a smaller apartment and gets a credit check. there two bills besides rent and medical insurance. i think she is two months behind on medical.

she is four months behind. what should she do? >> her goal is to rent an apartment. if that's the goal, you are talking about 90 days from now. your credit score is 50 points higher or first and last month's rent. someone is saying i want to help her get into that apartment. they would be better off to save that money for her to help her pay first and last month's represent to get an apartment. if she went through bankruptcy, it's possible that the bills were vacated. they should go back and check what happened and see were the bills vacated. they would come off of her score. paying them off, that will be on her record for years. frankly had helps to pay it off, but it won't help that much. >> first and last month. the next question is from south carolina by phone. roxanne, good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question?

>> i have a question about my mortgage. i own a two bedroom town house and i'm interested in relocating, but i'm not sure what to do with the house. i would like to sell, but like many others, i bought in the peak of the market and my house is worth about 50,0$50,000 lessn what my current loan amount is. also i'm thinking about renting it, but i'm not sure i can rent it out because my mortgage payment is high and i'm not sure i can rent it at the rate of my payment. i also tried to refinance and i was unable because of the value of the home. i'm concerned about what i should do. if you have advice, that would be great. >> she is in the same situation as so many people. >> it's unfortunate and common. let's break down your options. refinancing and selling. if you want to refinance, you should look into home affordable refinance for americans like you who are under water in the

mortgages who want to take advantage of mortgage ratings right now. a couple of criteria is the loan has to be a fanny or freddie loan and it can't be more than 120% more than the current value. you have to be current on the mortgage and it has to be a primary resident. what it could do is set you up so you stay in the home and relocate down the line. maybe you sell when the market is better. in terms of selling, talk to your lender and communicate. it's in the lender's interest to avoid foreclosure. that's a lengthy skproprocess a they're willing to do a short sale. >> any chance kuwait before you relocate? >> i have a job, and i'm not in a bad situation. thank you, guys. >> good luck. time for another e-mail from abby in connecticut. she wrote i got out of debt except for student loans. i haven't used credit cards in

over three years and my accounts were closed and i was approved for two credit cars and have been making the payments in full. i'm considering rebuilding my credit and what kind of card would be good for me. does she need to apply for another card? >> having a store card is note going to build your credit score the way that having a visa or mastercard or cars like that will overtime. if you are looking at a mortgage or car loan in the near future, it's something you may want to consider. it's nice to have it for a back pocket emergency. i would go to low cards.com. they have looked at all the credit cards out there. it will enable you to do a quick and easy comparison to find out which is right. pull a credit score from credit.com or credit karma.com. you want to know where you are to figure out if your score is headed in the right direction.

go through it every couple of months and you will figure it out. >> thanks so much. if you have a question for the money experts, go to our website at todayshow.com. her album sold over a million copies. first, these messages. ♪ this one thing i'll eat, any time of day ♪ pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪

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and because it's activia, it helps regulate my digestive system. mmm. works for me. ♪ activia new activia dessert. but what we can do is arm ourselves for the ones we love with a flu shot from walgreens. ♪ [ coughs ] [ female announcer ] with the most pharmacists certified to immunize... [ sneezes ] ...and walk-ins welcome everyday, we're making it easy for everyone to get their flu shot, no matter how small their motivation may be. ♪ so stop by and get your flu shot today at walgreens. there's a way to stay well. let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal.

and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. good morning. time is 9:26. i'm gar vin thomas. i knew this was coming. we talked yesterday, the day after labor day. i knew wednesday things could get really busy. >> got worse because of accidents in the east bay. >> over in oakland we had the ripple effect past the colosseum after the last half hour of slowing showing a better flow here. the back-up through the maze. 580 is slow. down the east shore freeway, jammed. livermore better, but the early morning sig alert has things tied up. rob has the forecast. >> we're seeing fall-like

weather around the bay area and drizzle falling around parts of the bay area. we'll see a chance of showers and maybe some snow. breezy and cool around the bay area into the afternoon with 50s and 60s for highs today. we should see temperatures climb toward the weekend. ting friday.cominck inland [ female announcer ] we know jerry brown was mayor of oakland, but what were the results? fact: brown promised to improve schools. but the drop out rate increased 50%,

and the state had to take over the schools. fact: the city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours... they never worked. fact: brown promised to cut crime. but murders doubled, making oakland the 4th most dangerous city in america. jerry brown. he just can't deliver the results california needs now. on friday, leading up to home coming students at albany high school drive by freshman walking home and pelt them with eggs. students say it's a harmless trix. school leaders say et's bullying and is getting out of happened. friday night police responded to five incidents. the most serious involving a 13-year-old who ended up with a skull fracture after eggers stopped throwing eggs and sta started throwing punches.

the 17-year-old responsible faces felony battery charges. >> throwing eggs isn't assault. >> it's a tradition. this hazing thing with the eggs. it's just gone too far. >> the school principal says the students involved will be suspended or expelled. >> the future of fur low fridays goes in front of the supreme court today. some say they are pressuring the legislature to act. the justice 'tises have 90 todays to publish the decision. employees could get back pay for furlow days since february 2009. "today" returns in less than a minute.

>> one of the most trustworthy news people in america. ann curry reliving her first job looking back at all of our first jobs. oh, boy. oh, yeah. she takes us back to the days of baby-sitting and gabbing with her husband, brian. i don't know. natalie shows off her pet taming skills at a pet shop back in the day where she wanted to be a

veterinarian. coming up tomorrow on "today." meanwhile, you will be talking about inspiring young women. >> glamour magazine picked them and named 10 college women as the top. we will meet several of them. they are impressive. we will find out what the future may hold. one is a basketball player. a good one. >> wonderful. earlier this morning, we asked you to weigh in on the wedding dress and tux for the wedding couple who will tie the knot and it's time to talk about the bridal accessories from a custom to a vintage vail. we will help you update your fall wardrobe with the five hottest hews. all that is coming up. >> let's go to al for the weather. >> let's check it out. wet weather in new england and eastern great lakes. heavy rain from hermine. then tomorrow we have more wet

weather ahead as heavy rain moves into missouri. strong storms and wet weather in the pacific northwest. well, we're seeing fall-like weather around the bay area and drizzle falling around parts of the bay area. we'll see a chance of showers but maybe even snow above 8,000 feet north of lake tahoe. breezy and cool into the afternoon with 50s and 60s for highs today. we should see temperatures starting to climb into the weekend. 70s and 80s coming back inland starting friday. that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. up next, the brightest stars of the future. some of the glamour magazine's top 10 college woman. right after this. i'm your genie. you're wishing for a deliciously, nutritious fiber cereal. i am.

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as i understa cindy levy, maya moore and mackenzie lawry are three of the winners of the competition. how did i do with your names? this is an amazing thing you do because it must bolster so many of these accomplished women into greater heights. what are the criteria? >> we are looking for women who are academically excellent and involved on the campuses, but we are looking for people with the special spark. women who have seen a problem and taken steps to correct it and blazed their own path. we are looking for that woman when you read her application you want to vote for her for president and read her memoire. no pressure or anything. >> certainly you have seen a problem and tried to make it right. you lived the problem. i will read what i have in terms of the research and correct me if it's wrong. you dressed as a boy for years and going to a secret school in afghanistan? >> yes. >> just to get an education and

when you were 16 you went further and made a request. what did you ask? >> i went to my village with my father and there was a need for a school for the children there. a couple of village men donated a piece of land for the village to use as a school. the children were sitting on the ground under the sunshine and studying. their enthusiasm really drove me in go back to kabul and talk to the minster of education to propose the building of a school. >> at 16 years old you did this? >> yes. so far we have six classrooms and a well for clean drinking water and i hope to build additional classrooms to be the first girl's high school in my village. what inspires me is the fact that people in the village really want to educate their

daughters. that to me is huge. i know that there a lot of people in the area in afghanistan to have their daughters educate and they are lacking the resources. >> powerful. you are a great humanitarian for people and especially the girls in afghanistan that you get this award is really poignant. maya, you are considered one of the best basketball players in the country from the university of connecticut. the huskies. you helped lead yore team to back to back undefeated seasons setting a division one women's basketball record of 78 consecutive wins. your dream? >> my dream, i have many. of course on the court i want to be able to play and compete and win at the highest level. olympics and wnba and title. i think one of the great things is my sport has given me a platform to reach people of all

ages, especially kids. to be able to unite through sports. it's so universal and it brings people together. i have been able to touch kids and i hear different stories and it warms my heart to feel like i'm a great role model, being a great student representing the classroom and on the court. always trying to be a positive role model for all people. >> i know you get to play with president obama. we are running out of time and can't talk to you about that. i need to ask you because you did something really significant. you pushed for a cigarette state tax inkrocrease in iowa and deferred going to harvard to make sure it passed. >> the cigarette tax is important to me because it was a personal issue. my dad passed away my freshman year of high school after being a lifelong smoker and very

suddenly from lung cancer. for me the tax is note just an important public health initiative, but a cause that i deeply cared about. still care about. i dream of a tobacco-free tomorrow. deferring harvard for a year felt like what i had to do. in order to get closer to that dream. >> you were driven by a passion and a love. now this is inspired a in politics for you. >> perhaps. >> you are going to win the big championship, aren't you? >> that's the goal. >> to be a rowe model. all three of you, terrific role models. thank you so much for helping to introduce women we would never know about that our daughters should see and watch. thank you so much. thank you. i know there seven more. >> great role models. >> congratulations to them. coming up next, a new twist on an old tradition. unique accessories for the

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>> this morning on today's wedding, accessories for the bride. something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue is traditional. if you are modern, you can still incorporate it. >> we have this year's "today" show bride to be. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> lots of good ideas on the something, something new. >> are there rules? >> there no rules. being a bride you can forget about paying attention to rules. our job defines the newest and the latest. this is the one day you want to be like no one else. these custom options are made

for you without breaking the bank. we have great ones. fun ways to add spirit to your look. >> speaking of something old, you have a twist on this. >> madam for tuna.com will take your old piece fist you have charms you wish to incorporate and build these charm bracelets. she will build it for you or you can give them as gifts to brides maids. don't worry if you don't have them, she has an amazing collection. you can wrap it around the bottom of your bouquet. >> you said you have a charm bracelet. >> perfect, yes. >> that's a nice idea. >> these bands? >> these aren't old, but they are old fashioned-looking. this is a real 1940s, something that we need a lot of. these are fro from twigs and money and they start at $44. they are quite affordable and

it's real vintagy old fashioned in a new way. >> do people do the garter thing. >> talk to us about that. >> sometimes they do and sometimes it's itchy and silly and funny, but something new, they make these custom garters and you pick the exact color. they do lovely beading. even if you don't take it off and throw it, maybe only your husband will see it. wait, are we supposed to be watching? >> really. >> what are these? >> only the most important vessel to carry the beautiful rings down the aisle. this is something new from emerson made.com. this is a husband and wife team behind this line. you know there is a lot of love going into it. we have the real rings. >> i'm not allowed to touch them, but take a look. it's something really pretty and

hand made is a nice way to do it. >> now for something borrowed. >> this lady, her line is called romancing the bling. you can find it on etsy. she has broaches and pins and fashions them into hair combs and clips. a little sparkle and you can hook it on to the vail eil. >> something blue? >> these are from the shop. they do more than one thing. you can clip these on your shoes even if no one were going to see them. that is fun. >> you could. >> you, these could be a fun flower girl or broid's maid clip. >> a hat or a broach or a pteradactyl. >> the shoes are a fun place to

do something blue. peeking out when you are dancing. >> a great idea. >> can you do that? >> i wore blue shoes. maybe people see them and maybe not. there is something blue. these are from unforgettable moments and they come in a wide range of colors. do you like it all? >> yes. >> thank you so much. >> coming up, something else to get excited about. five fall colors to update

as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

this morning, fabulous colors for fall as the summer whites get pushed to the back of the closet. time to think of adding fresh colors for the season. we have a contributing editor for live and style magazine. >> good morning.

>> colors are the new black again? >> of course. you have the blacks and the grays and the browns, but i love what we see on the runway for fall. jewel tones and purples and new neutrals like alive and camel. >> speaking of the bright colors, we have erin here wearing an on trend look. >> like a red. we associate valentino, but armani. what i love about this red is not a lot of women feel comfortable in red. a red sweater is a great option for fall. for $39, you can get this amazing color. you also want to think about the colors you are pairing with. think about denim, camel and anything with brown. those are great combinations with the red. find a great pair of jeans. this equestrian look with the great patches on the elbows and

the military. >> you have the brass and the tassel on the back. it gives you a head to toe look. i bought that sweater the other day in olive. that's the next color trend. erin, you look color. let's move over to the next model, danielle. speaking of the olive and military, that's in. >> we have been seeing a lot. every celebrity has been wearing this in a casual way. what we are seeing for fall is military glam. i love these. these are from the gap. the way they made it fabulous is adding the tuxedo stripe. for $49 you have this great pair of pants. >> you can dress it up or down. >> i want to dress it up which is the look you want. a great beaded top. this is $34. sexy heels. now you have the whole look. it's not drab, it's fab. >> to dress it down, take down the heel.

>> tle on sneakers and a t-shirt and a jean jacket for a whole other look. >> great look. let's move on over to shina. purple is another with the jewel tone. always very big. gorgeous. >> the purple reigned on the runway this fall. it was rich and the fashion is very big. i love this look. when you are wearing purple, you think about what looks good with it. gray is a perfect color to compliment it. i love the pencil skirt with the shearing right here. people who want more coverage on the stomach, it's new york and company. this is $36. i love that even though it's plastic, it has the zippers. also accessories. i love these. >> excellent. thank you. let's move over to the next trend. cobalt blue as well.

>> this is another exciting jewel tone. we saw a lot of blue on the fall fashion shows. i love this tealy color. >> i love the neck line. >> she looks like she could be angelina. >> she does. a tough girl. >> that color combination for the blue is black. that makes the top. this coat is only $80. >> how can you go wrong. >> the fold over booties from baker. they are $79. amazing. we love them. >> last we have camel. camel is one of the colors that it's such a classic that you can never go wrong investing in anything camel. >> camel is amazing and it's $99. every girl needs a camel coat. it's so versatile, you can throw it on over jean or a black dress for night. this is a great work look.

you throw on a pencil skpirt leopard is a great thing. >> very in right now. >> a hat to top it off. >> thank you so much. wonderful job. all well done. great finds. thank you. still to come this morning, holda and kathie lee tryout unusual work out ger to see if it works. new ideas for your kids for lunch. !% [ female announcer ] we know jerry brown was mayor of oakland,

but what were the results? fact: brown promised to improve schools. but the drop out rate increased 50%, and the state had to take over the schools. fact: the city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours... they never worked. fact: brown promised to cut crime. but murders doubled, making oakland the 4th most dangerous city in america. jerry brown. he just can't deliver the results california needs now. good morning, everyone. it is 9:56. all i'm going to say is if you got up early in livermore, saw the traffic report and wanted to

wait until things clear up, you're still home. >> hang out a little longer. here we go. 580, 22-minute drive. things are moving throughout the area. all lanes are open as they have been since the sig alert cleared around 7:00 this morning. still slow on the maze and the approach to the way bridge toll plaza. now about 25, 27 minutes to the toll plaza itself. there's the slow drive past the colosseum. slow at the colosseum itself. the rest of 880 not bad in the northbound direction. rob has the forecast. >> we certainly have seen a cool start to the day. we have drizzle and clouds around the bay area. we won't warm up a lot today. even with partly cloudy conditions. 67 san jose. 60 in san francisco. as we head toward the weekend, things warm up inland for the valleys as we head toward saturday and sunday. >> this morning crews will continue to sift through 3,000 tons of garbage looking for any

signs of a missing hercules man. today will be the sixth day in a row police and volunteers search the keller canyon landfill. they are looking for 35-year-old frederick solace missing since august 28. police believe he may have been murdered by 28-year-old efr efrin valdemoro who was shot and killed by police. he's linked to the deaths of other people including solace's father. today lawyers will try to reduce the bail of the man police say could be involved. 72-year-old charles rittenhouse is charged with possession of chemicals used to make explosives. his wife and her friend were found dead in his home on august 31. police say he's a person of interest but have not charged him with any crime related to their deaths. we're back in half an hour with more local news for you.

the "the today show" returns in a minute. rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power

and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again. hi, everybody, guess what, you made it halfway through the week already. >> we're in the homestretch. >> it's winesday hoda. >> i'm aware of that. >> it's september 8th. glad you're with us. you look fetching. >> so do you. >> we've had a little rain this morning. we need it. >> we do need it. >> we were both out on the town last night. >> i think you need to tell your story.

>> frank and i, as you well know, the last two old farts left in the world, we're usually the ones at home. it was the last night for michael feinstein and barbara cook at the loewe's regiency. >> what do they sing? >> the great american songbook. i'm telling you, it was really, frank kept noticing it quite often. if you want to get a master class, not only on the american songbook, which they're both amazing at, but how to share a stage, it's -- michael, it's his moment, feinstein at the loeh's regency. >> it was an absolute master class in how to be a host. how to be gracious. he so took care of her. the show is called "cheek to cheek" playing through this

saturday. no, no, playing through october 2nd. >> because she sang. >> she sang "send in the clowns" on the sondheim on sondheim? >> yes. regis was behind me. doris roberts was to my left. and michael's partner or his -- husband was there. and right across the table from me was judge judy. >> how does she look in person? >> i know, she looks great. >> and i must say, i met judge judy's son, greg, very successful lawyer. 47, never been married. don't think i wasn't talking you up. >> and what's the story? >> i think there might be a little something there. >> ever been married? >> no, came close several times. >> the first thing judge judy said to me -- he's not married. he's great. >> and i said, does she do that to you all the time? he said all the time.

>> he's cute? >> he's very cute. >> following up. >> from the stories you've told me, he doesn't need to be cute. he just needs to have his own teeth. that's all you care about. am i right? >> no. i just said i don't mind guys who are a little chubby, i don't mind that at all. >> he's not chubby. he's in great shape because he does martial arts. and guess what he does first thing in the morning -- when you're -- >> what's he doing? >> he plays flamenco guitar. >> if there's guitar involved -- if someone can sing -- >> he plays traditional spanish accoustic guitar. >> it's winesday, thank you, jerry. >> thank you. >> we'll have a little sip of that before you go over. >> i went to the movie premiere of the movie called "the

romantic." >> i haven't heard much about this movie. >> it was originally a film at sundance. katie holmes is in it, josh duhamel is in it. it was one of those romantic comedies. when katie holmes and tom cruise hit the red carpet. i was across the street and suddenly we herd this big explosion of people cheering. >> and you were like, i knew it. >> it was insane. there's a long, long press line outside the long one inside -- >> yes. >> and they stopped, they spoke, they talked to everybody. they were so kind. >> she is the executive producer. >> he's always been great with his fans. >> and candace bergen is in it, adam brody. and a woman named gaul gault nederhemer is the writer

and josh is getting married. he's torn between his fiancée and his maid of honor. katie holmes. >> i don't think you should let things get that far. when you and judge judy's son get married, i want you guys to have all that stuff settled before you get that far. you need to think things through. >> that's a way that people do vent when they're going through a tough time. >> there are good ways and painful ways. >> there's a woman, you guys, who i guess she walked in on her boyfriend, she thought she had an exclusive relationship. >> it was a long-distance relationship. >> she wanted to surprise him. >> he had another woman in his life. she was heartbroken. what did she do? what do you do when you're heartbroken? some people eat ice cream? some people cry, some people pull out a gun and shoot him? >> some people do that, and that would be on "dateline" thursday. >> we don't recommend that. >> some people decide to go on the internet. >> they take it public. >> this woman went on the

internet and posted videos of herself blubbering -- i haven't seen them. >> 62 of them. >> they're called the "froglet diaries." >> i get angry, when i just don't care any more. but that isn't right now. because everything in me -- that fell in love with this person, is still there. and this pain is as relevant as the smiles and positivity that you see, you know. grieving is grieving. >> she went on and did lots of those videos. >> she's a 53-year-old woman in england. who has also lost a child to -- meningitis as well. so she was dealing with that as well. >> he saw that video. >> i only heard about this, hoda, i got to say. in our meeting this morning, and i thought why in the world. but then you see the actual

person and your heart just breaks for her. >> i agree. >> sometimes it's not -- it's not what they're saying it's how they're saying it. and apparently over the course of this, she gets, she gets lovelier and more in control and -- >> by the end she's looking fabulous and the guy left the other one and now they're together. >> he said he saw the video and he couldn't believe all the pain he caused. and 11,000 other people saw it, too. that's the thing -- >> voyeurism of that, it's a problem to me. >> you remember when britney spears, there was the kid who was crying on video -- >> i love her, i love her, waah. >> when it does come to breakups, it turns out that men are more affected by breakups than women, according to this study. >> my theory on that is because they usually cause it. >> that could be right. >> now they say it's because women have people to talk to and

we talk it out and guys turn to alcohol and gambling. >> and hookers. >> hookers. >> hookers is not on the list of things that they do. >> but it does show that -- men are also happier than women are in good relationships. >> that's totally true in frank's and mine. he's the happiest clam on the planet. >> how come? >> because he just doesn't give a rip any more. when you're in as many hall of fames, and he's lived the most -- everybody i know, i don't know anybody who has lived a more interesting life than frank. it's criss-crossed every other world. politics and mafia and -- you know, he knew everybody, he nixon -- he used to call him and frank would leave tickets for him for the giants game under the name, mr. goldman. he has a million stories like that. i wish he would write, the real thing. he's trying to protect everybody.

>> because he's a good man. >> he's a good man, but everybody he's protecting pretty much is gone. they kicked the bucket so now i'll telling the truth. >> this is something called the snazzy napper. >> i can't go for this, hoda. >> you put it on your head -- >> mostly because it's so attractive. >> how do you do it? >> i'm afraid of the bed bugs. is this for my mouth or my nose. >> your nose? >> yes. >> i'm tired. >> where do you snazzy nap, in the car? on a plane? snazzy napper is here. the snazzy way to sleep while you travel. the snazzy napper is comfortable and cool, soft and lightweight sleep in privacy shield that blocks out distracting light. you could use the extra large snazzy napper as a blanket.

a soft nose clip allows the shield to con store around the0 nose and shed out light. an eyeguard provides maximum comfort and light exclusion. an oval opening on the snazzy napper provides for easy breathing. a comfortable fit with the snazzy napper. >> they haven't talked about what you're doing. >> i found a very good use for it. >> $15 if you're interested. snazzynapper.com. >> so claustrophobic in that thing. >> this is a shout-out for the white shrimp boot fundraiser. holding a raffle for these shrimp boots. they designed these shrimp boots, that's mine. don't laugh, i worked on it. >> me, i say nothing. >> they're being raffled off, they're being raffled off. so grow up a little so i can tell you where they're going. $5 raffle tickets go to

www.ccano.org. all the money is going to go to help people affected by the oil spill in new orleans. and if you love the american songbook as much as i do. michael has a three-parter coming up on pbs of the whole thing. so we covered a lot of business. hey, miss sarah. >> we're talking about where fans would sleep in public and one person said i slept in spanish class yesterday, does that count. and another writer said, i never and nowhere, i snore. still to come, we look at the average 25-year-old woman and the not so average celebrity. and sarah barielle, we love her. [ female announcer ] smooth skin? not good enough. [ female announcer ] 100% baby-smooth perfection has arrived. introducing dream smooth mousse foundation from maybelline new york. it's cream whipped for a 100% baby-smooth look. [ woman ] show me. [ female announcer ] some makeups just cover and leave skin rough, dry.

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will never be the same again, thanks to new pampers cruisers with dry max. they're not just 20% thinner... they're also two times drier. it's next generation dryness. only from pampers. field trips to the zoo! more basketballs. soccer balls. and a museum! [ growls ] more basketballs. soccer balls! more books. yeah.

like just a ton of books. [ girl ] and books about soft things. soft and slimy. [ female announcer ] now clip double box tops for education. from totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas. and make their school a better place. you're mid 20s are a time of self-discovery and many ups and downs. but how do many young women of today feel compared to young women of past generation, "elle" magazine and robin myers is "elle"'s editor in chief is with us, wearing white after labor day. >> the 25-year-olds are breaking the rules. >> they don't work, so that's good. >> how did you guys decide -- >> a lot of women who read your magazine are younger. why did you decide to focus on 25-year-olds? >> we're 25 this year. "elle"'s having its 25th

birthday. >> what's that like? >> well what it's like to be 25, they're excited and nervous about what's going to happen to them. >> the economy is a huge issue for them. >> it's a problem for all of us. but as you know, they're coming out of college, they're knocking on doors. >> they're moving in with their parents again. >> yes, they're moving back in with their parents and they're looking for love. >> a lot of people are worried about, a lot of young kids are worried about how they look. they're very self-conscious. >> does that ever go away sm. >> it doesn't seem like they are that the self-conscious. >> it's a funny thing, it's the "lake woebegone" effect. they think they're above average. one in three says they feel pressure to look better because of media. >> i find that strange. i think most women that i know of have stuff they want to change about themselves. >> they do, but i would say overall, especially with the younger women, they really think

that they're pretty okay. >> they're still perky. if you know what i mean. >> when it comes to love, how do 25-year-olds feel? >> they're looking for love, that's for sure. most of them say they haven't found anybody they want to date and they're struggling with this. a large percent of them have been broken up with via a text message or an email. which is obviously totally wrong. they're online daters. but you know, i think it's the same frustrations, they want to find somebody to love. >> and many of the women regret their promiscuous behavior. >> well they're ready to forgive and forget. but they themselves don't feel it's right for them. >> i understand you talked to men, too, and asked them what they were looking for. what were the traits they said? >> pretty, sexy, having a good body. >> exact opposite of the women, pretty much? >> pretty much. the thing that interested us in

desirable traits that women were looking for in men, the number one thing was just having a steady income. a lot of money came down a little bit lower on the list. what they really want is a fellow who has a job. who is gainfully employed. >> judge judy's son, i'm telling you. >> she's trying to set me up. >> you have a job and he has a job. >> well there's a lot i know to get to. but it's all in the article in "elle" magazine. and congratulations on your 25th birthday. >> you look fabulous. >> you look great. >> you inspire us all. thank you. >> up next, music to our ears. the fabulous sara bareilles is here. lovely young woman. fresh from her visit with regis and kelly. >> hi. [ female announcer ] join yoplait in our commitment to fight breast cancer.

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♪ ♪ ♪ i'm not going to write you a love song ♪ that's sara bareilles, only a few years ago with her hit song "love song." the single was huge, it was downloaded more than three million times and the album sold over one million copies. not bad for a debut. >> as sara gets ready to hit the road for a 30-city tour, she's released her second cd called "kaleidoscope heart" and it is -- >> awesome. we love it. >> we had to wait for this one.

because you had to be ready to deliver. because you write your own songs. >> yes. and we started, i went back in the studio thinking i was ready. and then -- >> but you only had four songs that you really loved. >> exactly. >> i love the story of this, sara. tell everybody when you went out with your friends and all the angst you were feeling about going into the studio. >> absolutely. it was over a margarita and tortilla soup. really good things. i was realizing that i was feeling all this pressure to get back in the studio. and i just didn't feel like i actually cared about what i was saying. and he put it so eloquently, he said, you can't polish a turd. >> i'm embarrassed to say it on tv. >> but i love it. it's true. >> what he's basically saying is you can make a song sound pretty and produce it well, but it's not going to be anything special. >> a bad song, he said is a bad

song. >> another way to say that, yes. >> now what we're hearing, what inspires you to write these, you have the four down. and the other ones came quickly after you got the groove in the studio, right? >> yeah. they did. i kind of feel like i needed to tap into the inspiration that was there the first time around. it sort of happened around a song called "uncharted" all about facing fears and walking into the fire a little bit. >> but this one, "the king of anything" that you did, it was the last one you wrote, right? >> i love the way you just sort of answer these people who think they can tell you how to live your life. who to be, what to say, how to sing. because it lets you be you. it's easier said than done sometimes. >> i think i write these songs as little pep talks to myself. i don't always -- it's not always easy to tap into that side of yourself. >> you were describing, you were on this tour and i don't think people realized just how grueling that can be, being on

the road. and how you were talking about the high highs and sometimes it gets really rough, doesn't it? >> it does. and i think naturally being an artist and creative people, you tend to be a little emotional, anyway. >> drama queen, can you say it. >> it's a lot to take in, there's a lot of stimulation all the time and it's new cities and new people. and really trying to find a way to stay grounded through that. i think the key is having great people around you. >> and there's a passion in what you do. you were born to make this kind of music. >> i watched sara in concert, it doesn't matter your venue, it always feels intimate. you have this way, the way you talk to people it's as if you are sitting in this room. you sing a song and you talk a little and i like that. people really respond to that, don't they? >> well i don't know any other way. obviously i'm a little awkward.

>> well after so much of the slick and the polished, people respond when somebody is just completely authentic and real. >> thank you. >> do you love this? >> i know. >> we don't really like anybody, but we're crazy about you. >> do we know about the rest of her life? we only know about the musical part. >> what's going on, sara, in ten seconds, how is it going? >> boring, boring. >> is it? >> well did you know that judge judy's son is single? >> i thought you were pairing me with him. >> you don't seem to want him. >> sara, we're going to play sara's sopping, a little encore performancehe e shd theo show. and now some "who knew?" trivia about football. did you know it's the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? cereals they already love,

like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch. give your kids more of what they need to be their best. grow up strong. with big g kid cereals. ♪ grow up strong. with big g kid cereals. ♪ your favorites, in pieces.

how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars. good morning. time is 10:26. it's wednesday morning. hope you're having a great morning. mike's going to make it better by his presence. >> we do have a sig alert through walnut creek. >> bringing me down, man. >> westbound 24 as you're getting into lafayette there is an overturned van. no major injuries reported. this will take at least 20 minutes more to clear. it should be half an hour for that to clear according to the sig alert definition. a smooth drive. east shore freeway improves but the toll plaza has a back-up toward the 880 crossing. the golden gate bridge has this.

rob has the forecast. >> we're seeing fall-like weather around the bay area and drizzle around the bay area. a chance on the sierra of snow above. breezy and cool around the bay area into the afternoon with 50s and 60s for highs today. we should see temperatures starting to climb into the weekend. 70s and 80s coming back inland starting friday.

as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

♪ we're back with more of "today" on this winesday and ready to play "who knew?" the nfl season kicks off tomorrow in new orleans so today's topic, you guessed it, it's football. kathie is across the street at the msnbc cafe and is ready to hand out $100 to those who answer her questions correctly and to those who don't, they get her cd. >> that's exactly right. >> here to help me out, bruce beck is in the studio, a sports anchor here at wnbc. our local sister station. are you ready to roll? >> yes. >> a very hunky guy from nebraska, brett favre has played

on all the football nfl teams except for one. which one? green bay packers, atlanta falcons, new york jets or the chicago bears. >> i'll go with the chicago bears. >> and you will go correctly. >> wow. he's done the lap pretty much, yeah? >> brett favre is the only guy who will retire, unretire, reretire again. the guy is in his 20th season. 40 years of age, he's never played for the bears, he's playing for the vikings this year. there was the season with the jets. he's with the vikings. the comeback was talked about all year, now it's official. let's see how he does once again. the vikings are one of the favorites in the nfc. >> back across to kathie. >> mother and child visiting from portland, oregon. which of the following musicians are scheduled to perform tomorrow during the kickoff games? >> i will go with dave matthews and taylor swift? >> i'm having a bad day! >> but she's having a good one. >> so dave matthews and taylor swift, a fun combo.

>> a very good combo, grammy award winners, saints marching, it matches with dave matthews, i think people will be looking forward to it in jackson square, a big party before the vikings-saints game. you've got taylor swift, "you belong to me" there's stuff in there about cheerleaders and bleachers, it all works, doesn't it. >> i didn't think about that. you're right. back across the kath. >> a lovely lady visiting from maryland. which of the following is not an nfl team name. the baltimore ravens, orlando magic, chicago bears or the san francisco 49ers? >> i think it would be orlando. >> she's not going to give away one of those cds. all right. the orlando magic was a basketball team. >> i thought that was easy. dwight howard, an unbelievable player for the magic, could be a wide receiver. you could throw the ball up there in the end zone and he could catch it. wouldn't it be interesting to see superman on the field. there's an orlando professional football team, but it's the

predators, an arena team. >> oh, the arena. doesn't count. >> visiting from vancouver. legendary new york giants player frank gifford has achieved all of the following milestones except for one. which is it? >> nfl player of the year, b? profootball hall of fame inductee or heisman trophy winner? >> b. >> 1956. he dnd didn't win the heisman trophy. it was stolen from him by another guy. >> he was robbed. >> we'll go on record saying frank gifford was robbed. >> the other guy was dick casemeier. he didn't play professional football. he went to harvard business school. frank number 16 with the giants, what a career he had, hall of famer. he's also, i think, husband of the year and father of the year. that should have been thrown in there, too. he talked about his great run at usc with all the other great running backs. one of the few men to get to the

pro bowl in three different positions. >> he's a legend. back to kathie. >> and anyway -- you're from where, arizona? >> yes. >> new england patriots quarterback tom brady is married to which supermodel? give it away. who is it? >> gisele bundchen. >> tom brady's girl. >> and the important thing to remember about gisele is she's making $28 million a year, much more than tom. there is no salary cap in modeling. and tony parker is married to eva longoria. he's a great basketball player for the san antonio spurs, and it seems like the superstars are always married to these girls and they all have a great time. but brady is the kingpin with three super bowl rings and two mvp awards. >> we ar s you w you are with us. thanks for coming to visit. be sure to catch the nfl kickoff between drew brees, the new orleans saints and brett favre tomorrow night at 7:30. eastern here on independent. kathie lee is going to come back across the street. we've got new-fangled fitness gear that will jump-start your workout. we promise. right after this. ar

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♪

with countless fitness gadgets on the market. we decided to take a look at some of the most unusual inventions from. >> from the neckline slimmer to the shake weight, i need that, too. jennifer cohen fitness expert and author of "no gym required" has it all. hello. >> hello. >> hello. >> whatever you're doing, it's working. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> we can't wait to see some of these contraptions. >> some of these are very funky looking.

this first item we have here. >> why drive to to use the gym when you can just drive to use the treadmill. >> it's not a joke. >> it's not a joke. it's an alternative to an actual bicycle. you can run on this contraption. it's a little more difficult than the normal treadmill. >> you drive down the street while you're running? >> you could. you require more balance than a typical treadmill. >> what does that cost? >> the cost is pretty pricey, about $2500. so, yeah. >> i'll just run outside on the street. >> that's a cheaper option. >> that's a cheaper and safer option. >> i've seen you run. >> but it's for the bored person, i suppose. >> look who's here. >> she's going to be the model today for the flex belt. this is fda approved and it claims that if you use it 30 minutes a day for six weeks, you'll have a six-pack.

>> tell us what's happening. >> don't push the button. >> right now there's an electric pulse going through the belt pad to her abdominal muscles that are just contracting at 300% more. >> do you feel it? >> yeah. we tried it earlier and she can feel it and i can feel it. >> that's supposed to -- >> it basically contracting your muscles really quickly. and if you do it -- >> tighten them up. >> i thought you couldn't spot tighten. you had to like -- >> yes. this is what they claim, right? >> want to try it? >> try it out and see for yourself. >> okay. >> you can feel it, though. >> i can definitely say that. >> this, i'm sure we've all seen this before. this is flying off the shelves. >> are there margaritas in there? >> this is flying off the shelves right now. this is the shake weight and it uses a technology called dynamic inertia. and the claim is six minutes a day you will tone your biceps,

your triceps and your shoulders. >> from shaking it? >> yeah. >> why don't you use two? >> you can. >> right now, it was typically made for women as i'm sure you can see why. >> is it light? >> it doesn't seem heavy enough. >> six minutes a day, they say it's 300% more active than just the weight training. >> the guys think it's hilarious. >> try to keep a straight face, ladies. >> this is the neckline slimmer. >> it's an inhaler. >> this is very gross-looking. >> yeah. >> this they say is exercise for your face. >> i think i'm falling in love. >> it claims it decreases facial sagging and reverses the signs of aging and it helps tighten your neck, your chin, your face. >> basically the same -- why give it to me? it's basically the same concept

as -- >> as the shake weight? >> i feel like one of those bobbleheads, you know? >> it's a little bit odd. it's three different resistant levels. this is a walking vest. >> this makes a little more sense. exactly. you can burn three times more calories using this versus a regular walk. you can use between two and 16 pounds of weight. >> your body weight. >> so you're carrying around more, thus expending more energy. >> exactly. >> we've got to roll. we've got sara bareilles singing at the end of the show. >> coming up next, healthy bodies, healthy meals and we'll pack your kid's lunch box and sarah is going to sing for us later. >> sounds good to me. i'm home. is going .

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back to school means parents are brown-bagging a lot of lunches in a recent survey, 85% of moms admit they sometimes prepare not so healthy meal for their little ones. >> absolutely.

regina is a registered dietician and writer for "family circle" magazine here to raise the lunch bar. >> it's hard to put together a healthy lunch. there's so many options. we divided it into c-plus to an a-plus. what gets you the difference is the choice of bread. the classic baloney and cheese sandwich. put it on wheat bread, use turkey, cheese, tomato. kids love this. >> take the ham away and add turkey. >> and there's a big difference in fat. >> and then actually we're going it take you over to snacks. >> hold on. the bread? >> you changed the chips. >> we're going to show you here what we changed. >> all right. first of all drinks, drinks are legally important. a lot of kids like juice and lemonade, but a lot of kids aren't getting calcium. you want to get them some milk. i know some people don't go for the chocolate milk.

if kids drink white milk or vanilla milk, that's great. chocolate milk is also an option. >> they sell sodas and stuff at school. >> yeah. >> they're trying to get rid of that. >> kids love chips. >> everybody loves chips. >> everybody loves chips. about there's great alternatives called pirates booty. and it's all natural. so we think this is a good choice and half the calories. >> pirates booty? >> less calories and fat. and you get a lot more for the amount. >> and you get the chewing thing, which is what kids like. it's the hard thing for people on diets. >> yeah. >> those are good. >> you we like the fruit roll-up type things. those are terrible, right? >> there's a lot of sugar in them. kids love fruit and it has a lot more fiber, it's very satisfying. this has five grams of fiber and natural sugar and vitamins.

>> okay. >> now cookies, this is very innocent but they're also very high in fat. we did a healthy trail mix, cereal, raisins and hersheys special dark chocolate -- >> kashi cereal. >> a great way to up your grade. >> regina, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> we're going to be back with one terrific song from sara bareilles, we love her.

[ female anuncer ] we know jerry brown was mayor of oakland, but what were the results? fact: brown promised to improve schools. but the drop out rate increased 50%, and the state had to take over the schools. fact: the city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours... they never worked. fact: brown promised to cut crime.

but murders doubled, making oakland the 4th most dangerous city in america. jerry brown. he just can't deliver the results california needs now.

we spoke to her a little bit earlier. we're going to listen to sara bareilles, but before we doings that, we don't we go over to the other sarah. >> we've got a little response about judge judy's son. melissa wrote in, i'm 47 today,

single, never married and jewish. can you set me up with judge judy's son? >> i'll see what i can do. >> it's almost as bad as you, every day. >> judge judy will be grateful to me. >> and the snazzy napper, someone wrote in, that looks a little crazy. and karla wrote in, that snazzy napper is ridiculous. >> it's a snoozer. >> we spoke to her a little bit earlier. >> now she's going to sing a little song for us. sort of an encore performance from yesterday, we thought it was so good, you guys should hear it. >> here she is, with "king of anything" from her new cd, "kaleidoscope heart" and we wish all of you a very, very fine winesday. >> cheers. ♪ ♪

♪ keep drinking coffee ♪ stare me down across the table ♪ ♪ so many things i'd say if i were only able ♪ ♪ but i just keep quiet and count cars that pass by ♪ ♪ you've got opinions and we're all entitled to 'em ♪ ♪ but i never ask ♪ so let me thank you for your time ♪ ♪ and try not to waste any more of mine ♪ ♪ and get out of here fast ♪ i hate to break it to you, babe ♪ ♪ but i'm not drowning ♪ no one here to say ♪ who cares if you disagree ♪ you are not me ♪ who made you king of anything ♪ ♪ you say ♪ tell me who died and made you

king of anything ♪ ♪ you seem so innocent ♪ all full of good intent ♪ but you expect me to ♪ jump on board with you ♪ and ride off into your dilutional sunset ♪ ♪ i'm not the one ♪ no direction ♪ sure what till it be ♪ so busy making out ♪ you got to talk it down ♪ it's time to listen ♪ who cares if you disagree ♪ you are not me ♪ who made you king of anything ♪ ♪ you say ♪ tell me who to be ♪ who died and made you king of anything ♪ ♪ all my life

♪ i'll try ♪ to make everybody happy while i ♪ ♪ stop hurting and hide ♪ waiting for someone to tell me ♪ ♪ it's all right to decide ♪ uh-oh ♪ uh-oh ♪ who cares if you disagree ♪ you are not me ♪ who made you king of anything ♪ ♪ you care ♪ tell me who to be ♪ who died and made you king of anything ♪ ♪ who cares if you disagree ♪ you are not me ♪ who made you king of anything ♪ ♪ and you dare tell me who to be ♪ ♪ who died and made you king of anything ♪ ♪ let me hold your crown, babe

♪ yeah ♪

as governor, he cut waste got rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and